Automatically adjustable stop device for tripod legs



P. J. RIES Oct. 17, 1950 AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE STOP DEVICE FOR TRIPOD LEGS Filed Feb. 24, 1948 INVENTOR. PHEK J. E155 flTTORNEY Patented Oct; 17,1950

ES P TENT 'oFFicIii" it F l eiroimmaii ig tsmetam I I I nnv'icnron TRIPOD LEGS Park Lines, BurbankiCalifll Application February 9 8 S r alNv. 10,306 i n This invention relates to portable supports such as tripods, and more particularly to s topdevices therefor, of the general character disclosed in United States Letters Patent- No. 2,234,357, issued March 11, 1941 ,to Paul L. Riesand Park J. Ri'e's.

1; Claims. (01. 248-188) The device-of the patent-above identified pro vides means manually adjustableto maintain the tripod legs in any selected position against spreading therebeyond, so as-to prevent collapse of the tripod should its legs be struckor be resting on a surface providing insufficient friction to prevent displacement; to sustain the. tripod legs against collapse in -widely spread positions wherein the legs. would otherwise, not. be selfsupporting; to maintain the. tripod le s against spreading beyond aselected position of. adjustment, irrespective of-variousqtilted position of the. t pod head; wheremthe l gs. would. otherwise be in p l f. salt-support; and to, main ain. the tr pod lessi lly los d. so as; o ena le. a y ee o b rasped-as. a. handle. by which. to arry h trip d- A object o my r sen in enti nh p ovide a stop device: for trained; legs having all the above recited advantages of the; patented; device, and, in addition, .Whi.Qh is structurally characterized to be; automatically adjustable to obviate the necessity of Imanually adjusting the, device when, changing the positions. of the; legs, it, be ing merely necessary to. look the device when the legs h v bee moved. to, a desir d. ad us ed ose n, an to nlock the. evice when it. is to. fu ction in another pos tion otth le s... for week:- me o the de eewhenqthe new has position reached, all to materially simplify and expedite he se. o the tripod and of. the s op i e.

A h r je t f p sent. inve tio i t provide a stop device of the above described character embodying; a stop or abutment member for each tripod leg, mounted thereon for adjustment automatically by bein urged into engagement with the head of the tripod irrespective of changes in the positions of the leg relative to the head, with locking-means which is manually actuatable to lock the .stop member against adjustment; when the tripod leg'has been tion of the tripod headand theupper portion of a leg, with one form of automatically adjustable stop device embodyin my invention applied thereto;

- Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the 1ine 2--2 of Figure 1; l

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken-on the line 3-43 of Figure 2; Figured is a View similar-to. FigureZ- and illustratinga second form of stop device embodying my invention; and. Figure 5. is a, detail sect-ionalview taken on the line 5-55 of Figure 4.

Referring specifically to the. drawings, and particularly to Figures 1, 2 and'.3.,,th'isv formgoi my invention. comprises an, elongated support-or body B having a fiat pad or attachingportion lflon which is a tubular portion or barrel H in whose bore 12 is slidably mounted a stop'or abutment member. 13 in the form. of a pin re,- duced in diameter at one end, to providefa. guide shank l4 slidably fitting into'the reduced portion I the annular shoulder 19 in the bore i2,al1 to the moved to aselected position, so as to enable the stop member to co-act with'the 'tr-ipodhead and legin preventing opening movement of the latter beyond,the selectedpositiqn.

With these and other objects in view, my invention resides in thefoombinations, arrange- 1 ri-th a so 1raw1 g s..,

1 gure i is a fragmentary view showinaaporend of urging the pin l3 axially and outwardly of the bore. j

The outer end portion 20 ofthe barrel 1 I projects'beyond the end of the pad I0 and is provided withlongit'udinal and transverses slots; 2| and 22, respectively, which are joined together for coeaction in rendering the barrel portion 20 sufliciently 'constrictable to rigidly clamp the pin [,3 in any selected position of adjustment. A

locking member 23. in the form of a scre is. provided at its. outer end with a knob 24, and xte s freely t rough a-IQn itudinaI slot 25 in the pin. [3. The inner end of thelocking member 23,15 screw threaded at 26 into an internally threaded collar. 2.1 prQJ'ectingIfrc-m the side of the barrel portionill for co-actiQn of the threads in constricting thej barrel, portion 21! upon turning the locking member in a direction for an annular shoulder 28. on the. screw at the knob 24, thereof to abutthe side of the b'arrel'portion ZO opposite thfeco lar. 21., ,I

One of thefst p d v ces aslahov described is app i d n each, tripod leg h of a tripod, adjacent to theupper end oi th l e whi h is .p vdtally mounted at Mon lugs 3| depending from the in Figuresl 'and 2. 'jAisuitable recess is bored the leg I; to r ceive he c llar 2. and h le r bored through the leg to receive roundhea'd spective of the amount or direction of movement of the tripod leg L about the pivot 39 on'the head H, the spring I? will maintain the stop member' in engagement with the head. Thus the pin ,is automatically adjusted as the'leg is moved, and

it is only necessary to tighten the locking screw 23 to lock the stop member IS in any position in which it is desired that the member co-act with the head in positively preventin any further opening movement of the leg. When the position of the leg is changed, the locking screw 23 is loosened to again render the stop member automatically adjustable by the spring 11., j

Reference will now be had to Figures 4 and 5 which illustrate a second form of stop device emthe functioning of bodying'my invention and which is identical in 'portion 35 providin an annular shoulder 36.;

The longitudinal slot 2Iawhich co-acts with the transverse slot 22a to render the portion 20a of the barrel Ila constrictable, extends through two ears 3'! on the portion 20a. The shank 38:0f

the locking member 23a fits freely into a hole 39 in the leg L meeting a second hole 50 which receives the ears 31. The reduced portion of the locking member passes freely through a smooth hole 4! in one of the ears 3'], and is threaded into a registering hole 42 in the other one of the ears. Thus, upon tightening the looking member, it will co-act with the ears 3T in constricting the barrel portion 20a about the locking member 2311 to rigidly secure same against its automatic adjustment by the functioning of the spring 11a as above described.

I claim:

1. An automatically adjustable stop device for the legs of tripods whichcomprises: a stop member; means adapted to mount said member on a tripod leg for movement towards and away from the head of the tripod; Spring means operatively associated with the stop memberto yieldingly urge same into engagementwith the tripod head irrespective of opening and closing movements of the leg; and means co-actable with the stop member to lock same against movement, for 00,- action of the stop member with the tripod head in limiting opening movement of the leg.

2. An automatically adjustable stop devicejfor the legs of tripods which comprises: a stop member; means adapted tomount'said member on a tripod leg for movement to engage and disengage the head of the tripod at the outer side of the'l'eg; spring means co-acting with said" mern'I- ber to maintain'same in engagement 'with".the tripod head irrespectiveof opening and closing movement's of'the leg; and a locking, member manually operable to co' a'ct with said mounting means in locking the'stop'niember against's'aid movements thereof, for co-action of the stop member with the tripod head in definitely limiting opening movement of the leg.

3. An automatically adjustable stop device for the legs of tripods which comprises: a stop pin; means adapted to mount said pin on the outer side of a tripod leg for axial'movement longitudinally of theleg; a spring urging said stop pin axially in a direction for the pin to engage the tripod head irrespective of opening and closing movements of the leg, so as to automatically adjust 'thef pin accordingly; and means by which said pin can be locked against movement, in any selected-position of adjustment of the leg, for co-action of said pin with the tripod head in preventin openmg movement of the leg beyond said selected position.

4. An automatically adjustable stop device for the legs;-o f tripods which comprises; a barrel adaptedto be secured to-a tripod leg to extend longitudinally thereof; -a ;stop:-- pin slidably ,mounted;; in' the bore of the barrel; a spring in the; barrel bore, co-jacting; with; the stop pin to urge same i nto ;;engagement with the tripod head; and ,a locking; member cQ-actingvvith said .barrel to secure'thelegagainst movement relativetothebarrel-in any selected position of adjustment of the tripod-leg 5. .An automatically; adjustable stop. device for the legs ofjtripods which comprises: a barrel adapted to be: securedrtoajtripodleg to extend longitudinally fxthere'of 11a stop pin slidably mounted. in .the' bore. of-thelbarrel; ,a spring in the barrel bore. co-acting-with the stop pinto urge same into engagement with the tripod head; said barrel having-a constrictable portion and a locking 's'crew' co-actable with said portion of the barrel to constrict same and'secure. said pin against movement "relative tothe barrel 6. An automatically adjustable stop device'for the legs of tripods which comprises: 3 a barrel adapted to be secured to a'tripod leg to extend longitudinally thereof; a stop'pin havin a longitudinal slot and being slidablylfmounted in the bore of the barrel; acoil-"springin the barrel engaging the pin tourgesameaxiallyiriia direction for the pin toengage' the tripodhead; a portion'of saidbarrel'b'eing split to render it constrictable; and av locking, screw extending through saidslot and co-actable with said sp'lit portion, of the barrel to constrict same" about said pin, so as to lock the latter in any selected position of adjustment. I ll p '7. An automatically adjustable. stop device for the legs of tripods which comprises: av barrel adapted tobe secured't'o a tripod leg to extend longitudinally thereof ;.,.-a 3 stop 1 pin slidably mounted in the bore of ,thebarrel; a sprin gin the barrel bore co acting with the stop-pin to urge sameinto engagementwith the tripod head; a portion of said barrel beihg :slotted longitudinally and having ears through which said slot extends; and a locking screw coactable with said-ears to constrict said-portion of the barrel and-lock said pin against movement relative to the barrel.

. anrnnnncssjcrriin V I The following ,r .eferences. are of recordinithe file oithispatentta.; 5' '5 .i-

' UNITED'STATES "PATENTS Number Nam 

